Visualization of the pH Response through Autofluorescent Poly(styrene-alt-N-maleimide) Polyelectrolyte Brushes AITranslate

Basic Information:

DOI：https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.2c02066

Chinese Library Classification Number:

Citation Information:

Polyelectrolyte brushes can undergo reversible conformational transitions in response to changes in environmental pH and ionic strength. Therefore, they offer great potential for the design of “smart” surfaces and surface-based sensing devices. Herein, we report weak acidic polyelectrolyte brushes with pH-dependent autofluorescence based on alternating copolymers of styrene and tailor-made N-maleimides, which exhibit “clusteroluminescence” due to the through-space conjugation of π-chromophoric subfluorophores. Swelling behavior of the polyelectrolyte brushes was evaluated as a function of pH via in-solution atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses. The correlation between the pH-induced conformational transitions and autofluorescence was confirmed with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and two-photon laser scanning microscopy. Poly(styrene-alt-N-maleimide)-based well-defined, stable polyelectrolyte brushes, generating optical signals from conformational changes without conventional fluorophores, may enable the design of sensors and optoelectronic devices.